Medanta is a pioneer and one of the few hospitals in India, when it comes to bringing path breaking, innovative technology to India. Brain SUITE is one of a kind, latest technology used around the globe. It is an advanced operating theatre with capability of intra-operative MR imaging and MR guided surgery.

Surgeons can perform a high resolution MRI during the surgery to assess the degree of tumor removal as well as avoid harming healthy brain tissues. Brain SUITE can not only be used for tumour surgeries but provides Medanta an edge of getting real time images while conducting the Biopsy too.

Intra-operative MRI helps in performing immediate assessment of the degree of tumor removal. This ensures that adequate tumor removalis performed.

MRI guidance helps in immediate detection of complications.

The difference between a normal surgery and Neuro -Navigation in BrainSUITE can be understood as driving with a GPS navigation system.

Just as a GPS navigation system helps you in real time through traffic and routes and makes it easy for you to drive, similarly the Neuronavi- gation attached to the Brain SUITE helps your surgeon to get a real time image of the tumor, as compared to a normal surgery where MRI is done outside the OT and then tumor is visible only after the skull is opened

To perform such tumor surgeries and operate in Brain lab Doctors at Medanta use the latest technology used internationally is, ALA dye for precision of tumor removal & cerebrovascular surgery. Neuro navigation helps in planning the approach to tumor without damaging the normal brain tissue.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

While driving on the road as the signage boards on the roads help you drive with directions, similarly the use of ALA dye in such procedures gives directions to the doctors. ALA dye is a harmless dye which is taken orally and it highlights the tumor by turning it pink under special blue light while the rest of the brain does not. It makes it easy for the surgeon to locate and treat the tumour. The Biopsy is examined under a microscope by a neuro pathologist - a doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseases by looking at cells and tissues of the brain and spine.

This image based surgery is especially beneficial when Tumors might move due to draining of the cerebral fluid during the surgery. Some of the world class neurosurgeons at Medanta are pioneers in the using Brain SUITE in Asia, even prior to developed countries like Japan and China.

The Neurosurgery team at Medanta has successfully completed about 300 Brain SUITE surgeries as of today, treating patients with gliomas, pituitary adenoma and certain other tumours.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an Endoscope an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ.

An endoscope can consist of a rigid or flexible tube a light delivery system to illuminate the organ or object under inspection. The light source is normally outside the body and the light is typically directed via an optical fiber system a lens system transmitting the image from the objective lens to the viewer,

typically a relay lens system in the case of rigid endoscopes or a bundle of fiberoptics in the case of a fiberscope an eyepiece an additional channel to allow entry of medical instruments or manipulators

Endoscopic Neurosurgery is done with state-of-art operation theatre for endoscopic brain and spinal surgery. Medanta houses a dedicated state of art Endoscopic Neurosurgery Theatre .Endoscopic Neurosurgery uses a slender fiber-optic camera to improve visibility and guide access to hard-to-reach Tumors in the brain.

A revolutionary treatment for cancer patients, Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System is world's first such system, designed to treat tumours of all kinds anywhere in the body. With its unique precision and accuracy, it treats both static and moving lesions and Tumors, giving clinicians the power to treat patients non-invasively, with successful outcomes. It has high accuracy & efficacy for treating tumours in the brain and spine.

CyberKnife treats intracranial (skull base) benign and malignant Tumors, as well as spine Tumors and lesions of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.

CyberKnife is less risky than traditional surgery it can be a suitable option for the elderly. Age is not a crucial factor in excluding patients from CyberKnife treatments.

Cyerknife For Brain Tumor Radiosurgery

CyberKnife has made brain radiosurgery increasingly safer and even made it possible to have a Brain Tumor treated and return to work the same day. For some selected patients, the benefits in terms of speed of recovery, comfort, freedom from complications and avoidance of long hospital stays can be enormous.

Radiosurgery is the technique of using precisely delivered radiation, typically a high dose that will kill the tumor cells in 1 - 5 sessions. Delivery of a high dose in a single/ few sessions demands extraordinary precision in radiation delivery and careful planning by the neurosurgeon and a team including radiation oncologists and radiation physicists to ensure that no critical structures in the brain receive harmful amounts of radiation. The robotically assisted CyberKnife allows the radiation dose in the brain to be high in the treated area and fall off very sharply outside it. This results in the tumor responding well with minimum collateral impact.

It is important to understand that not all patients need to undergo radiosurgery. For example, typically Tumors larger than 3 centimetres in diameter may not be good indications for the CyberKnife treatment. In case the tumor is pressing on a critical structure in the brain or on the spinal cord, removing it by microsurgery may be preferable. Additionally, when the MRI scan does not give us a typical picture of a particular tumor and there is a doubt about the possible diagnosis, a Biopsy or surgical removal could be advantageous. These judgements is be taken by a neurosurgeon.

The Brain Tumors that may form good indications for CyberKnife Radiosurgery include:

Neuromas arising from other nerves

Meningiomas

Pituitary Adenomas

Hemangiopericytomas

Hemangioblastomas

Few metastatic deposits from cancers elsewhere in the body (typically 5 or less)

Complications with CyberKnife are less prevalent than those found in other radiosurgery modalities or radiation treatments. Following some patients may experience headaches or feel nauseated or very tired. These symptoms are temporary and rarely the result of radiation, but simple nerves or fatigue due to lack of sleep. Uncommon complications may include skin reddening due to the face mesh or vomiting. Delayed symptoms may include local brain swelling in the treatment site, which can be addressed with appropriate medications prescribed by the doctor. Extremely rare complications may include vision loss or hearing loss depending on the diagnosis and condition being treated.

The radiation being delivered by CyberKnife is so focused on a specific target that it is highly unlikely that hair loss or skin burn will occur. Typically, the radiation dose administered is not sufficient to cause permanent damage to the skin or hair follicles. In the event that an intracranial lesion being treated is close to the scalp a patch of hair may be effected. The hair will grow back. Patients receive instruction before and after treatment and have an opportunity to dialogue with members of the medical team so that they are aware of possible events specific to their case.

There are many benefits to a CyberKnife procedure. It is non-invasive, does not require a headframe or painful immobilization device and it is able to reach areas of the body previously thought untreatable. It is ideally suited for those who are unable to undergo traditional surgery or who do not wish to risk surgery.

CyberKnife@Medanta

Medanta has a dedicated Cyberknife Cell, for such pateints. Our neurosuregeons are pioneers in using such technology and have rich experience in the field

Medanta’s team of surgeons have successfully completed about 33 such surgeries for various kinds of cancers, including Brain Tumors and Cancer.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

This is a top-end highly versatile Linear accelerator designed for use in critical areas, such the brain and spine. The high accuracy, combined with a robotic couch capable of finely calibrated movements, make this a highly effective tool for Radiosurgery of the brain, the spine and other organs apart from use for fractionated treatments.